In an FVM project, what do .fvmrc and .fvm/ contain, and how do you point VS Code and Android Studio at the pinned SDK?

## Two locations, two purposes An FVM project has a **shared** part and a **local** part: | Item | Committed? | Purpose | |---|---|---| | `.fvmrc` | yes | the project's Flutter version and FVM settings | | `.fvm/` | no | links and metadata pointing into this machine's cache | Since FVM 3.0 the configuration moved from `.fvm/fvm_config.json` to `.fvmrc` so that `.fvm/` could be ignored. FVM still reads the old file when no `.fvmrc` exists, warning you to migrate by running `fvm use`, and still writes it alongside `.fvmrc` for tools that expect it. ## Inside .fvmrc ```json { "flutter": "3.47.5", "flavors": { "production": "3.44.3", "next": "beta" }, "updateVscodeSettings": true, "updateGitIgnore": true, "runPubGetOnSdkChanges": true } ``` - **`flutter`** — the pinned version: an exact release, a channel, a commit, or a fork-prefixed version. - **`flavors`** — named alternative versions for the same project, used by `fvm use <flavor>` and `fvm flavor <flavor> <command>`. - **`updateVscodeSettings`**, **`updateGitIgnore`**, **`updateMelosSettings`**, **`runPubGetOnSdkChanges`** — all default to true; set one to false to stop `fvm use` from touching that file or step. - **`cachePath`**, **`flutterUrl`**, **`useGitCache`**, **`privilegedAccess`** — rarer overrides for where and how SDKs are fetched and whether links are created. ## Inside .fvm/ - **`flutter_sdk`** — a link to the cached SDK directory; the stable path for tools and IDEs. - **`versions/<version>`** — another link to the same SDK, named after the version; VS Code is pointed here. - **`version`** and **`release`** — internal files recording the SDK version and release name. - **`fvm_config.json`** — the legacy configuration copy. With `privilegedAccess` false, which matters on Windows without symlink rights, FVM skips creating the links and IDE settings get absolute paths instead. If `.fvm/` is missing, for example after a fresh clone, `fvm use` or `fvm install` recreates it from `.fvmrc`. ## VS Code `fvm use` updates **`.vscode/settings.json`** (and a `.code-workspace` file if present): 1. It sets **`dart.flutterSdkPath`** to the relative path `.fvm/versions/<version>`. 2. The Dart and Flutter extensions then analyse, run and debug with that SDK. 3. FVM suggests restarting the integrated terminal so plain `flutter` there resolves to the project SDK. Set `updateVscodeSettings` to false if the team manages that file itself. ## Android Studio and IntelliJ FVM does **not** change JetBrains settings. Configure them by hand: 1. Open the Flutter settings for the project. 2. Set **Flutter SDK path** to the absolute project path ending in **`.fvm/flutter_sdk`**, or to `<fvm dir>/default` to use the global version. 3. After `fvm use` switches versions, confirm the IDE still stores the `.fvm/flutter_sdk` path. JetBrains IDEs can resolve the link and save the cache path of the old version, which silently keeps the old SDK. `fvm doctor` reports the project's pin and IDE-related paths, which helps when the IDE and the terminal disagree. ## Quick troubleshooting | Symptom | Likely cause | Fix | |---|---|---| | IDE says the Flutter SDK is missing after a clone | `.fvm/` is ignored, so the links do not exist yet | run `fvm install` or `fvm use` in the project root | | VS Code analyses with the wrong version | `updateVscodeSettings` is false, or the window was not reloaded | set `dart.flutterSdkPath`, reload the window | | Android Studio stays on the old version | the IDE saved a resolved cache path | reselect `.fvm/flutter_sdk` | | Terminal and IDE disagree | plain `flutter` in the terminal follows `PATH` | use `fvm flutter` or restart the integrated terminal |